NSA Scotsheep brings farmers together for a successful day at Wedderlie Farm

NSA Scotsheep 2026 was held last week (Wednesday 10th June) at Wedderlie Farm, Gordon, Berwickshire, hosted by the Tilson family. The event welcomed strong attendance from across Scotland, Northern England and further afield, confirming its position as a key date in the UK sheep industry calendar.

Visitors arrived in good numbers throughout the day, creating a lively and engaging atmosphere across the site. The event also benefited from favourable weather conditions, which enhanced the experience of all attendees. With over 200 trade stands in place, the show provided a valuable platform for agricultural businesses, organisations and service providers to connect directly with farmers and industry professionals. Exhibitors reported excellent engagement throughout, with high-quality conversations and strong networking opportunities.

The event opened with a formal ceremony attended by vast numbers of visitors, exhibitors and industry representatives. His Grace the Duke of Roxburghe officially welcomed guests to Wedderlie Farm, recognising the importance of the sheep sector to Scotland and the value of NSA Scotsheep event as a major industry gathering. A particularly memorable moment followed when John Tilson marked the anniversary of 50 years of the family farming at Wedderlie. He paid tribute to his wife, Marion, acknowledging her lifelong contribution to the farm and presented her with a commemorative gift. The moment was warmly received, adding a personal and meaningful highlight to the opening proceedings.

A further highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of the Silver Salver Award to Carol McLaren, RSABI in recognition of her outstanding contribution to agriculture and service to the wider industry.

Widely regarded as one of the highlights of the day, the farm tours offered visitors an excellent opportunity to see the farming system up-close. Feedback was extremely positive, with praise for the outstanding quality of stock on display. Visitors frequently commented on the strength, consistency and commercial focus of both the sheep enterprise and Aberdeen Angus herd. The willingness of the Tilson family to open their farm gates and engage with visitors added greatly to the experience and was widely appreciated by all attendees.

The trade exhibition featured over 200 stands representing a broad cross-section of the agricultural industry, including animal health companies, feed suppliers, machinery manufacturers, fencing contractors, financial services, breed societies and rural organisations. The scale and diversity of the trade area created a busy and well-supported hub throughout the day, with exhibitors reporting strong engagement and excellent opportunities for discussion, networking and business development.

NSA Scotsheep brought together the sheep industry in an engaging one-day event, combining technical learning, practical demonstrations, trade and competition. The strong attendance, extensive trade presence and high-quality livestock displays contributed to a highly successful and well-received day.

The professionalism and hospitality of the Tilson family at Wedderlie Farm were central to the event’s success, with the celebration of 50 years of farming at the holding providing a particularly special moment.

NSA extends sincere thanks to all exhibitors, sponsors, competitors, volunteers and visitors who contributed to the success of this year’s event.

Several competitions took place throughout the day, showcasing skill and talent across the sheep and agricultural sectors. The full list of winners is as follows:

Best Indoor Trade Stand
1st Innovis
2nd James Delargy
3rd Zoetis
4th Carrs Billington

Best Outdoor Trade Stand
1st Harrison & Hetherington
2nd McVeigh Parker
3rd A T Jeffrey
4th Tarff Valley Ltd

Best Breed Society Stand
1st Beltex Sheep Society
2nd North Country Cheviot Sheep Society
3rd Scotch Mule Association
4th Texel Sheep Society

NSA Next Generation Shepherd Competition (Sponsored by Texel Sheep Society, British Wool and the International Sheep Dog Society)
1st Ben McSporran
2nd Hayley Ryan
3rd Tyler McKinnley
4th Niamh Milton
5th Angus McGowan
6th Kiera Smith

Under 21 Winner
Tyler McKinnley

Sheep Dog Trial
1st Tyler McKinnley
2nd Ben McSporran
3rd Hayley Ryan
4th Niamh Milton

Stock Judging – Junior
1st Rachel Elliot
2nd James Cowens
3rd James Goldie
4th Thomas Goldie

Stock Judging – Open
1st John Howie
2nd John Brown
3rd Joe Gascoigne
4th Aiden Dunlop

Stock Judging – Women
1st Catherine MacGregor
2nd Zoe Prentice

Fencing Competition
1st Samson Fencing
2nd G T Contracting 
3rd Drummond

Shearing Competition
1st Stuart Davidson
2nd William Ballantyne
3rd Frazer Caldwell